Traditional planting densities in row crops have been established at row spacings of 30 inches, 15 inches, and 7.5 inches for drilled rows. These traditional row spacings can yield varying percentages of maximum yields each season, depending on factors such as growing season length, average temperature, sunlight percentage, and timely and optimal rainfall. However, with the advent of precision planting in modern agriculture, accurately placing seeds has become a routine practice in row crop planting.
By utilizing PLANTRITE TM planting systems, producers can increase their average yields by achieving the most efficient planting density and maximizing profits through precision planting combined with appropriate herbicide usage. The optimal density for medium bush soybean plants is limited by sunlight reception before the root system area, considering the range of planted populations. Most row crops exhibit similar responses when planted at various densities. As planting density increases, yield per plant decreases, but overall yield increases until reaching a maximum yield for a given plant density.
The advantage of using PLANTRITE TM planting systems is the ability to achieve the maximum yield for a specific planting density and then calculate the density that yields the maximum return on investment, taking into account current input costs. For most row crops, there is an optimum plant population for each row spacing. Decreasing row spacing increases plant population, leading to higher overall yields until reaching a maximum population that optimizes average yields. By considering input costs, crop prices, and average yields, producers can select the optimal planting density that provides the most profitable return per acre for a specific row crop.
In soybeans, the average increase in crop yields for narrow row spacings compared to wide row spacings can reach as high as 30% in certain growing seasons. The expected yield increase with narrow row spacings depends on the length of the growing season and geographic location. For example, in soybeans, shorter growing seasons benefit from higher planting densities, resulting in higher average yields. Optimal seeding densities lead to a percentage increase in average yield during a growing season, with higher-yielding seasons experiencing greater yield increases when using the optimal seeding densities.
Planted soybeans in narrow rows always exhibit greater yield potential when using the most effective plant populations compared to wide row spacings. Utilizing correct planting densities along with appropriate herbicides eliminates the need for post-herbicide applications, reducing input costs. Planting at the optimal yield densities also reduces the time required to reach R1 stage, mitigates erosion and evaporation, minimizes weed pressure, and improves soil health by increasing organic matter.
In soybeans Plantrite TM has identified that planting populations are a function of row width. To maximize yields plant populations increase with decreasing row widths limited by the leaf area of a particular variety. Once the three dimensional area occupied by the soybean plants leaf arrangement have been filled you have achieved an optimum plant population with respect to yield. Considering input costs and grain prices a producer can further refine the planting density to maximize the return on investment for a particular growing season.
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